Consulting Questions to Ask: B-School Fundaes

Consulting has emerged as one of the most preferred starting career options for the B-school grads in India. The logic works like this : Since you are never sure where your interest lies, it is better to start off as a generalist. Dabble in various sectors in the starting few years at a top notch consult company and then specialize in an area which interests you. Develop some solid expertise in that area for the  next couple of years and then move into a company directly related to that field. Given your experience, the company will give you top position. And generally, consult is a rapid burnout profession (from what I have been told) involving heavy and long work hours and frequent travel. So people tend to move out after they have developed significant expertise and experience. 

Consult companies make an all out effort to woo students (best of the best of the best apparently ... reminds me of this scene in Men in Black. Interview process is also somewhat like that). And after they have done a good job of selling themselves to students, comes the best part. Students selling themselves. Usually this is in form of sometimes well thought out, sometimes not-well-thought out questions (in order to show interest in profession and company. You have to sugarcoat your pecuniary-only-intentions in dollops of sweet interest and passion). 

So I thought why not prepare a list of such questions which can act as a ready reckoner to look for next time you want to ask questions to the consult chaps. These are for general consultancies and not specialized consultancies like Miebach (TM) or RedSeer (TM). Here we go. (TIC- Tongue-in-Cheek)

1. Do we get to choose the verticals that we work on?
2. What kind of work-life balance do employees have?
3. Will you adjust our locational preferences?
4. What sectors do your clients come from?
5. Are most of your clients repeat clients or new clients? (Ask if this is a new consultancy)
6. What is the career progression process?
7. Do you have a professional development program?
8. What kind  of mentoring do people get?
9. Will we get to work on a live project in summer internship program?
10. Every consult company is fun-to-work in place. How are you different? (TIC)
11. How much money can we expect in salary and bonus? (TIC) (never ask)
12. Which sector does your company get most of the revenues ?
13. Are there any specific skill sets that you are looking for?
14. Will my technical/economic/business/science background help?
15. What kind of problems do you face with PSUs or government clients?
16. What kind of growth opportunities does your company see in management consultancy business in India?
17. Will we need any skills beyond Excel sheet making? (TIC)
18. Do you have a preference for people with work experience? (if you have work experience, then ask...Do you have preference for people without work experience?)
19. How long will it take me before I can become my own boss? (TIC)
20. Why are you not as good as McKinsey? (Ask this especially to BCG people) (TIC)
21. Why is McKinsey so good and awesome? (Ask this to McK people, they love it) (TIC)
22. How come you are 100 years old and still not the boss of the industry? (Ask this to Booz and Co. ) (TIC)
23. Is there Pizza/High Tea after the session? (Clarify this before attending) (TIC)